Local currency & Tipping - FAQ's

I am travelling to Madagascar in September and would like to know if I can take only Euro with me, or if I should change my money into the local currency? Also how much should I budget for tips for our driver and for guides at the various parks?

The local currency used in Madagascar is the Ariary, which replaced the Malagasy Franc in 2005. Although some people still refer to the Malagasy Franc when selling or buying something, as they are used to it, all payments must be done in Ariary.

When deciding whether or not to convert your money into the local currency, it is important to consider the areas which you are travelling to. For more remote regions it is recommend that you convert your money into the Ariary. However for the more touristy areas you can take USD, EUR and GBP.

Currency can be bought only at banks and official bureaux de change in some hotels and at the airport in Antananarivo. However hotels have a less-favourable exchange rate. It is important to note that once you have changed your money into Ariary, you cannot change it back onto tradable currency (it is a non-convertible currency) so it is recommended that you exchange currency as required.

Regarding gratuities, it has become a habit to tip someone who served you but it is not obligatory. Here are some ideas of the gratuities which are expected:

- Around 4 EUR per day (about 10'000 Ariary) for a guide or a guide/driver (per day for a group
  rather than per person)
- Around 2 EUR (about 5000 Ariary) for a park guide, depending on your satisfaction (per person)
- Around 5% of the bill at the restaurant
- Around 200 Ariary per bag for a porter.

Also, as Euro coins cannot be changed into local money in Madagascar, it is advisable to tip in Ariary.It is excellent that you wish to do the right thing by the people who serve you well in Madagascar, and it is often a difficult balance to tip them enough, but also be careful not to tip them too much. The temptation is to over-compensate for the fact that tourists are coming from a "well-off" country and visiting a much poorer country. Unfortunately, in the long run, over-tipping by travellers can ruin the local perception of tourism and create a very unpleasant expectation, resulting in begging of children and adults alike.

Should you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact one of our friendly consultants on info@jenmansafaris.com. ______________________________________________________________________________________

Learn more about... Nosy Be Hotel

Nosy Be Hotel is the perfect holiday get-away. This hidden gem is located on the west coast of the beautiful Nosy Be Island just 10 km from the main town of Hellville and 35 km from the airport. Enjoy the wonders that Nosy Be has to offer from the comfort of this charming and intimate hotel. Surrounded by a lush tropical garden and situated on the edge of Belle Vue beach, guests will truly feel as though they have escaped the hustle and bustle of city living and will find themselves relaxing and unwinding.

Whether you are looking for relaxation, sports or adventure, Nosy Be Hotel has something for everyone! Relax at the hotel's stunning fresh water pool overlooking the sea and get a delicious coconut oil massage. For the shopaholics, browse through the hotel's two curio shops which offer a wide selection of crafts, bags, raffia hats, perfumes and embroidered tablecloths or visit the many nearby markets. If you are looking for some more adventurous activities, there are excellent opportunities for divers and snorkellers who want to explore the wonders of the ocean. There is a PADI dive center nearby as well as a travel desk at the hotel, where guests can book various excursions, such as fishing, quad biking tours, catamaran rentals, and excursions to neighboring islands such as Nosy Komba, Nosy Tanikely, Sakatia Nosy, Nosy Iranja and the Mitsios.

After a day of fun filled activities, dine at the hotel's renowned "Alta Marea" restaurant, which seamlessly blends European and local flavours into mouth-watering and inventive dishes that will have your taste buds tingling. The creative menu focuses on fresh local produce, especially seafood and zebu, and guests are recommended to end their meal with the hotel's speciality dessert - black chocolate mousse. After dinner, why not head over to the nearby cocktail bar and enjoy the breathtaking view as the sun sets over the sparkling Indian Ocean?



The hotel is comprised of 43 spacious and well appointed rooms, each of which has been individually decorated with traditional Malagasy artwork and artefacts (such as coconut, raffia, shells, flowers and local tissue) and beautiful hardwood furniture to reflect the Malagasy culture. There are 33 spacious and comfortable standard air-conditioned rooms (each of which sleep 2 people), 7 VIP bungalows (each of which sleep 4 people) and 3 suites (which sleep either 2 or 4 people).

All the rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a modern en-suite bathroom (shower or bath), fridge, mini bar, safe, mosquito nets, table lamp, TV, fan and stunning views of either the sea or the front of the luscious tropical garden and have a private terrace on which to relax and take in the beautiful Madagascar sunrises and sunsets.

INCREDIBLE NOSY BE HOTEL SPECIAL If you would like to stay at this stunning hotel then why not book our 7 Night Package? Priced from just EUR 270 / USD 370 per person sharing, this incredible offer includes 7 nights in a standard room with air-conditioning at the Nosy Be Hotel in Madagascar on a bed & breakfast basis, and return airport transfers. Should you wish to upgrade to a half board basis, this will cost you an additional EUR 150 / USD 205 per person. For more information email one of our knowledgable consultants or view our website package.

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Enjoy a week of fun in Madagascar with your family!

Take time out to relax with your family for a whole week in beautiful Madagascar on our Sakatia Island Family Holiday package. From as little as EUR 390 / USD 525 per person, you can enjoy a wonderful 7 nights at Sakatia Towers on a half board basis (breakfasts & dinners included). Staying in an en-suite bungalow, your days can be filled with snorkelling, beach picnics, lemur excursions, boat trips, quad biking, cocktails and happy laughter - all depending on what you choose to fill your time with whilst there. The prices include 7 nights half board accommodation at Sakatia Towers, with return airport transfers. The prices exclude all flights and their airport taxes. Rates are valid until 15 January 2011. For more information email one of our friendly consultants on info@jenmansafaris.com or click here to view our website special.
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Best Wishes for Rebecca!

On behalf of everyone at Jenman Island Safaris, we would like to wish our Madagascar Product Manager, Rebecca Marshall, good luck for the birth of her baby. We are very excited for her and wish her luck as she enjoys her little bundle of joy.

If you have any questions about Madagascar, please contact Katja on katja@jenmansafaris.com while Rebecca is away.
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Madagascar Travels

We found this incredible book by renowned British explorer Christina Dodwell entitled 'Madagascar Travels' and just had to share it with you. It follows Christina as she explores the remotest areas of the world's fourth largest island, uncovering ancient secrets, traditions and taboos...

"South of Belo I revisited one of my favourite haunts, the majestic baobab tree area; the mere sight of such trees lifts my spirits. I'd been told that many baobabs had been knocked over by a cyclone a few years ago, but I found they were regenerating, not dead, and the from roots of the fallen trees new shoots had pushed up. It is said in legends that baobab trees live forever, and I remembered once counting the rings on a section of trunk, and working out it was up to 850 years old. People do not cut into or harm the baobab, but they often cut off swathes of bark for house building. There are even some dwellings inside baobab trees.

One-room homes have been dug and hollowed out inside their bloated trunks, without killing the tree. The kitchen area would be just outside the trunk. One of the baobabs had notches up its trunk, to do with fixing nets to catch fruit bats which are eaten by the villagers. There are six different species of baobabs in Madagascar, while Africa has only one. A young scientist friend from Switzerland, Urs Thalman, said he thought there was a new species of baobab on the plateau de Bemaraha. He was waiting for the leaves and flowers to show to be certain. They could be different because baobabs usually like sandy ground, not calcareous rock. Madagascar's wealth of new species is extraordinary in today's world."

If you would like to find out more about visiting Madagascar then email one of our knowledgeable consultants on info@jenmansafaris.com.
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